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Is narcis.nl a Scam? Security Check Results - Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) Reviews

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Is narcis.nl Safe? Security Analysis for Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)

Check if narcis.nl is a scam or legitimate. Free security scan and reviews.

EducationNetherlandsmedium
WordPress 6.8.2Divi ThemeGravity FormsjQuery 3.5.1Font Awesome 5.15.4+3 more
Analyzed 9/7/2025Completed 5:48:30 AM
66
Security Score
MEDIUM RISK

AI Summary

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) operates the NARCIS portal, a national Dutch platform providing access to scientific information, research data, software, and project descriptions. The website targets researchers and academics, positioning itself as a key national resource for scientific data dissemination. The business operates under the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), reflecting a non-profit, government-affiliated entity focused on education and research support. Technically, the website is built on WordPress with the Divi theme, leveraging modern web technologies including jQuery, Font Awesome, and Matomo analytics for privacy-conscious user tracking. The site is well-structured with SEO optimizations and mobile responsiveness, though some accessibility features could be enhanced. Security posture is solid with HTTPS enforced and use of reCAPTCHA, but security headers could be improved for better protection. No privacy or cookie policies were explicitly found on the analyzed page, indicating room for compliance improvements. Overall, the domain registration aligns well with the organization's identity, supporting high legitimacy and trustworthiness.

Detected Technologies

WordPress 6.8.2Divi ThemeGravity FormsjQuery 3.5.1Font Awesome 5.15.4Matomo AnalyticsYoast SEO pluginGoogle Fonts

🧠AI Business Intelligence

Technology stack, business insights, and market analysis powered by AI.

Business Intelligence

Market & Strategic Analysis

NARCIS serves as a centralized portal for scientific data in the Netherlands, integrating multiple specialized data stations across disciplines such as archaeology, social sciences, life sciences, and physical sciences. This ecosystem approach strengthens its market position as a comprehensive research data provider. The business model is non-profit and government-supported, focusing on data archiving and open access to research outputs. The target audience includes academic researchers, institutions, and policy makers. The platform's partnerships with various data stations and use of open standards like Dataverse indicate a collaborative and interoperable approach. Growth indicators include continuous updates and integration of new data services. The presence of official social media channels and professional branding further supports its credibility.

Extracted Contact Information

Marketing Intelligence Data

Email Addresses (1)

i*****@dans.knaw.nl

Security Posture Analysis

Comprehensive Security Assessment

The website demonstrates a mature security posture with mandatory HTTPS, use of Google reCAPTCHA for bot mitigation, and privacy-respecting Matomo analytics. However, the absence of explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options suggests potential areas for enhancement. No exposed sensitive data or vulnerable libraries were detected in the analyzed content. The lack of visible privacy and cookie policies may pose compliance risks under GDPR. Incident response and security policy documentation were not found, indicating possible gaps in transparency and readiness. Overall, the security measures are adequate for a public-facing academic portal but could be strengthened to align with best practices and regulatory requirements.

Strategic Recommendations

Priority Actions for Security Improvement

1

Implement comprehensive privacy and cookie policies with clear GDPR compliance statements.

Observations

AI-powered comprehensive website and business analysis.

AI-Enhanced Website Analysis

Business Insights

Company:

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)

Description:

NARCIS is dé nationale portal voor wie zoekt naar wetenschappelijke informatie, onderzoeksdata, onderzoekssoftware, beschrijvingen van onderzoeksprojecten en meer.

Key Services:
Access to scientific informationResearch data archivingResearch softwareDescriptions of research projects
Content Quality:

good

Branding:

consistent

Technical Stack

Technologies:
WordPress 6.8.2Divi ThemeGravity FormsjQuery 3.5.1Font Awesome 5.15.4Matomo AnalyticsYoast SEO pluginGoogle Fonts
Frameworks:
WordPress CMSDivi Builder
Platforms:
Web
Performance:

moderate

Mobile:

good

Accessibility:

basic

SEO:

good

Security Assessment

Security Score:
80/100
Best Practices:
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of nonce for AJAX calls
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of reCAPTCHA script (Google reCAPTCHA v3)

Analytics & Tracking

Services:
Matomo
Tracking Level:minimal
Privacy Compliance:good

Advertising & Marketing

Tracking Pixels:
Matomo
Marketing Tools:
Yoast SEO
Transparency Level:basic

Website Quality Assessment

Design Quality:good
User Experience:good
Content Relevance:good
Navigation Clarity:good
Professionalism:good
Trustworthiness:high

Key Observations

1

Website is a national academic data portal operated by DANS under KNAW.

🛡️Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis and recommendations.

Security Headers

HTTP security headers analysis

85/100
Score

Weak X-Frame-Options configuration

LOW

Current value: "SAMEORIGIN, SAMEORIGIN"

Weak X-Content-Type-Options configuration

LOW

Current value: "nosniff, nosniff"

Sensitive data may be cached

LOW

Cache-Control header should include "no-store" for sensitive pages

👤GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment under GDPR regulations.

GDPR Compliance

Privacy and data protection assessment

33/100
Score

No Cookie Policy found

HIGH

GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

No Cookie Consent Banner found

HIGH

GDPR requires explicit consent for non-essential cookies

Privacy policy may not be GDPR compliant

MEDIUM

Privacy policy lacks explicit GDPR compliance elements

EU business without adequate privacy measures

CRITICAL

EU businesses are subject to strict GDPR requirements

GDPR Compliance Analysis

Privacy Policy85% confidence
Cookie Policy0% confidence
Contact Information Found90% confidence
emailphone

🛡️NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive compliance assessment.

NIS2 Compliance

Network & Information Security Directive

17/100
Score

No information security framework found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity and information security measures

No vulnerability disclosure policy

MEDIUM

NIS2 encourages coordinated vulnerability disclosure

No security policy documentation found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented cybersecurity governance and risk management

No incident response procedures found

HIGH

NIS2 requires documented incident response and business continuity plans

No business continuity planning found

MEDIUM

NIS2 emphasizes operational resilience and business continuity

No security contact information

HIGH

NIS2 requires clear incident reporting channels

No vulnerability reporting mechanism

MEDIUM

Clear vulnerability reporting supports coordinated disclosure

No NIS2 reference found

LOW

Consider explicitly mentioning NIS2 compliance efforts

📧Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation and email security assessment.

Email Security

SPF, DKIM, and DMARC validation

80/100
Score

Complex SPF record

LOW

Too many include statements can cause lookup limits

No BIMI Record

LOW

BIMI displays brand logos in email clients

No MTA-STS Policy

MEDIUM

MTA-STS enforces TLS for email delivery

No TLS-RPT Record

LOW

TLS-RPT provides reporting for email TLS issues

SPF
Sender Policy Framework
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication
MX Records
Mail Exchange Records
BIMI
Brand Indicators
MTA-STS
Mail Transfer Agent Security
TLS-RPT
TLS Reporting
DNSSEC
DNS Security
SPF Details
Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.knaw.nl include:servers.mcsv.net ip4:5.39.185.32/29 ip4:185.181.140.187 ip4:87.253.234.71 ip4:87.253.234.73 ip4:87.253.234.85 include:spam1.htx.nl include:spf.mailjet.com include:_spf-dc55.sapsf. eu include:spf.topdesk.net -all
DNS Lookups:7/10
Policy:-all
DKIM Selectors Found
Selector:k2(1416-bit rsa)
Selector:selector1(1296-bit rsa)
Selector:selector2(1296-bit rsa)
DMARC Details
Policy:quarantine
Aggregate Reports:dmarc@knaw.nl

🏆SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis.

SSL/TLS Security

Certificate validity and encryption analysis

62/100
Score

Weak Protocols Supported

HIGH

Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

OCSP Stapling Not Enabled

LOW

OCSP stapling improves performance and privacy

Certificate Transparency Not Implemented

LOW

Certificate is not logged in Certificate Transparency logs

SSL Certificate Expires Within 90 Days

MEDIUM

SSL certificate expires in 38 days

Mixed Content Detected

MEDIUM

1 resources loaded over insecure HTTP

Partial SSL/TLS Assessment

LOW

Completed 3 of 4 security checks due to time constraints

Protocol Support

TLSv1.3TLSv1.2TLSv1.1

OCSP Status

OCSP Stapling Disabled

📊DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment.

DNS Health

DNS configuration and security assessment

75/100
Score

DNSSEC Not Enabled

MEDIUM

DNSSEC is not configured for this domain

Domain Transfer Lock Not Enabled

MEDIUM

Domain can be transferred without authorization

Domain Delete Lock Not Enabled

LOW

Domain can be deleted without additional verification

Domain Registration Details

Domain Age
30 years(mature)
Protection Level
noneDNSSEC ON
Suspicious Indicators Detected
  • No domain protection locks enabled

DNS Records

A Records:99.83.229.36, 75.2.96.239
AAAA Records:2600:9000:a603:d4ab:3b46:6664:541:3b6c, 2600:9000:a715:397e:a2c2:110b:23d8:9a4f
Name Servers:
ns1.surfnet.nlDNS only
ns1.zurich.surf.netDNS only
ns2.surfnet.nlDNS only
ns3.surfnet.nlDNS only
MX Records:
0: knaw-nl.mail.protection.outlook.com
SOA:Serial: 2025082843, TTL: 3600s

DNSSEC Status

DNSSEC Not Enabled

DNS Performance

Resolution Time:116ms

SPF Analysis

SPF Record:
v=spf1 include:spf.protection.outlook.com include:_spf.knaw.nl include:servers.mcsv.net ip4:5.39.185.32/29 ip4:185.181.140.187 ip4:87.253.234.71 ip4:87.253.234.73 ip4:87.253.234.85 include:spam1.htx.nl include:spf.mailjet.com include:_spf-dc55.sapsf. eu include:spf.topdesk.net -all

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis.

Network Security

Port scanning and network exposure analysis

100/100
Score

Good Network Security Posture

LOW

No unnecessary services detected on common risky ports

🔧Technical Analysis

Detailed technical findings and analysis from AI assessment.

Technical Analysis

Comprehensive security assessment findings

Additional Findings

The website is powered by WordPress 6.8.2 with the Divi theme and uses several plugins including Gravity Forms and Yoast SEO. It employs jQuery 3.5.1 and Font Awesome 5.15.4 for UI components and icons. Google Fonts are used for typography. Analytics are handled via Matomo, a privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics. The site loads external scripts asynchronously and defers non-critical JavaScript to optimize performance. Mobile optimization is good with responsive design and mobile menu enhancements. Some inline CSS and JavaScript are used for UI behaviors and accessibility improvements. The hosting provider is not explicitly identified but is likely affiliated with KNAW. Performance is moderate, with potential for improvement by optimizing external resource loading and caching strategies.
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